Taipei Times: You returned from the US to oversee Academia Sinica nine years ago. What have you accomplished during this period?
Lee Yuan-tseh (
Honestly speaking, if Taiwan was a perfect place, then there would be no room for improvement. For those who are willing to take on a challenge, Taiwan is the right place be. There are many things that demand our attention.
First, Academia Sinica experienced solidifying of its organizational structure in the past nine years. Regulations and provisions governing the tenure of the presidency were etched in stone. A president's term is five years and a president can serve no more than two terms. Recruitment and promotion of academic personnel have been clarified.
Second, we've managed to reverse the direction of brain-drain. A considerable number of middle-aged world-class scholars, especially research fellows, have returned to Taiwan one after another. This attests our success in reversing the brain-drain and shows that Taiwan is competitive internationally. Academia Sinica is much more capable of attracting real talent now and it has become an anchor for academic research in the country. Still, we continue to pursue fresh talent to join our cause. This accomplishment has been very rewarding and I am proud of it.
TT: You once said that you will only serve two terms, that is 10 years as president. Are you satisfied with the changes you've instituted in your tenure at Academia Sinica? What are your plans for your last year as president?
Lee: I am not easily lent to self-complacency. My goal in life is to incessantly press forward. This attitude applies to everything I do, not least of which is to improve my tennis game. Despite the huge budget increase and subsequent recruitment here at the the institute, some limitations imposed by law and other regulations still need fine tuning.
TT: So what administrative reforms should the government undertake to meet Academia Sinica's needs?
Lee: The government should realize that scientific research and administrative management should be kept separate. There may be new discoveries in science on any given day and plans may need to be adjusted accordingly. But the government is often not efficient enough in responding to immediate needs.
Many research fellows complain that too much time is spent writing research proposals for government grant applications. There aren't enough incentives to recruit people with the proper technical expertise.
TT: The relationships between Academia Sinica and other institutions of higher learning seem both cooperative and competitive. How do you think these relationships will develop?
Lee: There have been a lot of universities established recently and resources have been scattered. I believe that there should be a single academic institution playing a leading role. Academia Sinica has stayed ahead of all other academic institutions, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. I hope the other institutions can catch up. I predict that departments will be set up in universities to pool talents, resources and grant money.
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